AUSTIN — The special legislative session nearly collapsed into disarray Tuesday when the Senate went home early and the House initially killed a must-pass school finance bill.

But after first rejecting legislation imposing a $4 billion cut on public schools, House Republican leaders immediately called a caucus meeting and convinced 16 colleagues to change their votes, salvaging the final hours of the special session, which ends today.

After voting against the bill, Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, asked for another vote, explaining to his colleagues that misunderstandings over the bill had been cleared up.

“Our understanding of the bill has changed,” King explained.

House Democratic leader Jessica Farrar, D-Houston, joked that a few of her GOP colleagues suffered broken kneecaps after a 79-64 vote against Senate Bill 1 — the must-pass legislation — miraculously turned into an 80-57 vote for it.

Farrar predicted a voter backlash in the wake of school funding cuts — in the range of 6 percent — and a companion bill allowing school districts to furlough teachers and to cut their pay.

“It's going to take time for people to see the ripple effect,” Farrar said of the funding cuts she expects will result in schools closing, teacher layoffs and larger class sizes.

“They will be shocked, and they will have buyer's remorse from the last election,” Farrar said, recalling how voters elected 101 Republicans out of 150 House members.

“People in my district didn't want to raise taxes. They wanted us to live within our means, and I think we have done that,” Pitts said.

But Pitts, House sponsor of SB 1, conceded voters might not support the legislation resulting in teacher furloughs and pay cuts.

“I heard an outcry from my district and constituents on that. We can't keep slapping our teachers,” Pitts said.

All of the House Democrats have voted against public education cuts. Some Republican legislators have joined them.

“Every day we get closer to election, it gets harder to make these cuts. You have been spending time at home. People are talking to you. Parents are talking to you. It changes your reality,” said Rep. Mike Villarreal, D- San Antonio, who has suggested alternatives to such deep cuts. “When you spend time outside the bubble of Austin, you see the world differently.”

Rep. Randy Weber, R-Pearland, said he initially voted against SB 1 because “we did not fix the school formula funding.

“I have been hearing from my school districts and decided I wanted to call attention to that fact,” he said. “I asked the speaker if he would appoint an interim committee to study school formula funding and he said yes. So I said I'll change my vote. If we get to draw attention to the problem and elevate awareness, I think I've accomplished my goal.”

Other members said they also took into account concerns raised by the conservative Eagle Forum, which urged a “no” vote on SB 1 because they feared it included language that would broaden access of charter schools to public school construction dollars.

In particular, they voiced concern about Harmony charter schools because they were founded by a Turkish-Muslim group. They changed their vote after the Texas House General Investigating Committee agreed to look into the issue, lawmakers said.

The Senate, meanwhile, adjourned Tuesday, saying its work for the special session was done.

Senators also had passed SB 1 — the school finance measure, which also includes revenue provisions to help balance the budget and a section sought by Perry to add confidentiality to travel-expense records for his security details.

But senators gave up on a ban of so-called sanctuary cities, which would bar local entities from prohibiting police officers from asking about the immigration status of people they detain.

The Senate had earlier passed a sanctuary cities bill that stalled in the House. A move to attach the proposal to the school finance bill floundered due to Senate opposition.

Before adjourning, Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, had some choice words for the House, which hasn't yet passed a bill aimed at curbing invasive airport screening pat-downs, noting the Republicans' super-majority in the House.

“I'm frustrated on behalf of the people,” said Patrick, who like some other supporters of the so-called anti-groping measure cast it as a way for the state to stand up against an overreaching federal government. “This was a come-and-take-it moment. The House ... turned it into a take-it-or-leave-it moment.”

House members resented the Senate adjourning early and leaving them with a take-it-or-leave-it option on the anti-groping bill.